I am sure many of us all wish you had asked before you did the granite Either way, we all understand resources and budgets, but this kitchen said in bold. "WAIT PLEASE".

The cabinets are dated, should have been painted, and the valance over sink needs to go

The " very cool" of the counter is out of sync with the warmth of the oak

The cool of the counter is out of sync with the flooring......

The appliances are dated. The white is glaring against the oak.

At this point, the best you can do is a white subway tile. But honestly..........wish you had asked.

This is jmho of course, I'm sure to be beaten senseless..

The best spend now is stainless apps, removal of valance, and the least expensive white subway you can find.

Buy a few samples of white and off white tiles and decide which color works best the the counter top. Either subway or square.

No side splash this time. You can patch the wall there.

ahh Jan - you may have scared OP away.... Jennifer does that counter have any off white in it? would you be willing to paint the cabinets? bring home tile samples - at least 6 pieces of each and lay them on the wall to see which ones go best.. are you planning on new appliances? new knobs? could you remove the valance to update a bit more?

Aurrggh. I know how hard it is to wait and consider an entire "picture" . But . It can be all too easy to spend money , "paint" yourself into conflicting palettes, and end with a disappointment.

I am new to this site, but every single time....Jan is right. Straight to the point.
I’m no interior designer, nor do I have the means to indulge my love for it but I’m sorry to say the kitchen doesn’t look refreshed.
It’s not just that it’s not the style that I would go with. I can appreciate other choices if they’re done right.
White subway tile? I personally love it, but in that kitchen? No.
Don’t rush into the decision. Consider some of the “PRO” suggestions.
For what it’s worth, I would have done (whatever my budget allowed) to update those cabinets first.

Get a quote to paint the cabinets white before spending another $$ on the kitchen.

Jan - not to hijack but can you scoot over to my stuff I’d like your feedback on my kitchen

White subway tile with white grout will look best in the space as it is.

I think HGTV has rotted peoples brains. They think that they have to choose gray, and gray doesn't work with anything they have. I've had this conversation with my MIL a hundred times. She has oak trim/floors, beige carpets, but wants to paint everything gray. She just can't get that it will not look good.

I wanted a grey tones with blue so I traded off just doing it bit by bit & we just gutted first floor and started from scratch.. the grey I have calms me and the dark wood kitchen and other furniture we with blue color accessories that I’ll be using pops & really brings me joy.. unless you stay in the same color family or use complimentary colors it will clash.. @Jennifer please don’t take our comments as harsh...

White appliances so white subway tile should work okay, We don’t know if op is keeping them though

the OP @jennifer may be upset.. or just taking it all in and will post when ready..

White subway tile is a classic! You could also look into the Olympia Vitro Slim or Cristallo tiles, they are simple glass tiles and come in a few colours. They may go nicely with your countertop.

If it's possibly in the budget, stainless steel appliances would look better than white with the wood cabinets. Your microwave shows my point. It's much less of a contrast than stark white.

ETA - Brushed nickel hardware for the cabinets can look nice with SS appliances. Like you, our cabinets are oak. When we moved in, the kitchen hardware was all white with gold centers. I immediately changed them all to brushed nickel. It made such a difference with the SS appliances.

Check and see if the front panel on the dishwasher is removable and reversible. If you are very lucky it could be stainless.

Thanks all! some of your posts are encouraging. We do not have budget to paint cabinets at this time and actually, we find them quite charming. I’m sure by the laws of design we are violating many rules, but all that matters is we like it at the end of the day! Will look into some of your recommendations and share a final look when we get there!

Lots of inspirational pics there. Hopefully poster get some ideas to go with.

Jennifer, I think your cabinets are quite charming and look to be in good condition. I can visualize a lovely French farmhouse kitchen here. If you haven’t tried Pledge Restoring Oil yet , please do! It makes a huge difference on wood cabinets.

Jennifer try to find a white that is not glaring and not yellowish. Most neutral white you can find.

The floor may have gray in it, but it looks more beige on my iPad. My rule for backsplashes is that the backsplash must match a color in the counter material. Don’t look at the floor. Look at the counter and find a simple one-color tile which matches a color in the counter. You don’t want to add a third pattern. Do remove the scalloped valance if possible.

Light gray or light green glass tile would look very nice, as well as marble subway tile option.

I would run with the French Country look in this kitchen. It will never look modern so I wouldn’t even try. If you are leaving the valance, I would hang very small pretty plates on the soffit above the sink. Flank both sides of the sink with topiaries in pretty pots. Hang a framed print of the French countryside on the wall. That’s what I would do with this charming kitchen. (no roosters or chickens, please!) I hope the rest of your rooms will blend with this look.....

Aqua Kitchen, I installed glass tile in my kitchen 2 years ago and I was worried it was already dated. (Sigh...) I actually love the look and get lots of compliments on it. It just seems all the advice is to install subway tile now...

Amanda, perhaps you could post a pic.

the Valance is creating the charm that Jennifer likes. Like cottage style.

Angel, here is my glass tile.

Outdated already?

Amanda, You go with what you like and what pleases you in your home. That said, I would have removed the 4in piece before installing the backsplash tile. In the picture, the tile looks good with the cabinets but it is not working for me with the pattern of the granite. But this is just a picture. You and your visitors can see it in real life with your lighting.

Subway tile is recommend often because it simple and the solid look tends not to fight with the granite if the color is good.

Jennifer's kitchen is hard now because the cabinets and tile floor are warm while the granite is cool.

Tqtqbw, thanks for weighing in. Yes, I agree 4 in. granite should have been removed first!

@jennifer - thanks for posting and keep us updated... good luck in whatever you do with the kitchen and make it a happy place for you.

Jennifer I know you mentioned you do not have the budget to paint the cabinets, but have you considered just painting the face - skip the inside (for the time being). I think this would drastically improve your kitchen (like many have said above) AND allow you to purchase a subway tile backsplash since that tile is very affordable.

Jennifer - You can take your time picking a backsplash. Skim the walls where there is damage and paint the area where you will eventually add a backsplash, not the side wall. You should be able to do it with just a quart of paint.

Amanda, looks lovely and probably even better in real life. I like the sparkle.

Yes, too bad the 4" wasn't removed, it makes such a difference. Thanks for sharing.

Here are some inspirations photos from a light touch makeover I found here on Houzz.

I'd paint the lower cabinets taupe and the uppers cream or white. Find a white or light grey subway for the backsplash. This would be a low cost fairly quick way to bring it up to date.
I agreed lose the balance and perhaps add a polypropylene sisal like rug.

The op doesn’t want to paint her cabinets and finds them charming.

Jennifer, see how the hardware on the above pic makes a difference.

barncatz - thanks for posting my idea book:)

My french sister in-law says my kitchen has a French country feel - a pro here did not agree, but it is more French Country like you might see in France rather than the US style version. What helped my kitchen go that direction is the wood hood - another thing many pros here do not like:) Your over the range microwave looks new, but should it die anyway, consider a stainless hood, or you can do as I did and stain an unfinished hood to match the cabinets. The wood hood is more expensive. It cost me about $100 even with some DIY and a farmer friend's help with an inexpensive install.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~93784356

Notice my dreaded white appliances:)

I did retrofit a plate rail into a cabinet. Another touch if you like that sort of thing. There are kits for that.

I would get some white and gray subway tiles and stare at them for a while. I would not look for a deep gray - something very light. I am not very fond of gray and would go white. I used cream in my kitchen and in some light my counters look cool, but there is some cream and a tad of beige. It is possible that the counters in your kitchen look more cool then they really are. If you don't have under cabinet lighting get it - and have the lighting be "warm". If you can't do the lighting every where, just do between the sink and range - you will love how helpful it is. It is the most functional change I made.

Back to the over the range microwave - when you do the backsplash, either take the micro down, tile behind and put it back up, or save enough tile to fill in the space should you ever decide to change out to a hood.

I looked through my idea book that barncatz posted and there are a few with coolish counters. I don't know if this pic is in there - it has a gray. This is a white oak kitchen: